Shiroi Hane
by Calis
Summary: The story of a beautiful and mysterious woman and her relationship with the various Shoukan Division shinigamis. Chapter 6 & 7 are now available!
1. Beginning in Death

whitefeathers1

YnM Fanfiction

" Shiroi Hane"

Disclaimer: YnM belongs to Yoko Matsushita-sensei

Author's notes: "Shiroi Hane" means White Feathers in English and is based on an original character especially created for the Yami no Matsuei world. Why? Simply because there are too few female characters.

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis

Chapter One: Beginning in Death

She was waiting for Death.

Like a broken doll, she lay on the wide hospital bed with her pale fragile frame almost lost amidst the white sheets. She had been confined in the same bed for so long that she no longer felt the passage of time. When everything stood still, time no longer held any meaning. 

Bit by bit, she was slowly dying, each of her senses failing. Her sense of smell had been the first to go and swiftly following that had been her sense of taste. Subsequently, she lost her hearing, the sense of feel and finally her sight. Imprisoned in a body that had failed her, only her mind was alive. 

The shell of flesh that shackled her to the living world had reached its last limit. Unknown to her, medical personnel worked furiously with the equipment that kept her on this earth as her body went into series of seizures. 

" Inform Muraki-sensei immediately! The patient's in a bad way! "

" She's not responding! We're losing her! "

" Muraki-sensei! She's gone flat! No heartbeats registered. " 

With almost an audible snap, the cord that bound her soul was severed.

" Pronounced time of death - 11:59pm. Please prepare a death certificate. "

" Yes, Sensei. "

She was free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hane...

My little Hane...

Aren't you my perfect little tenshi?

Mother's tenshi? 

If Death was the ending of life then why did the memories remained?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The demon roared in pain and fury as a silver blue arc of lightning sliced deep into its serpentine body almost severing it into two. The black viscous fluid that was demon's blood splattered liberally as it thrashed in agony. 

The high acidity of the fiend's blood would have burned through anything that it came into contact with if not for the barely visible field of energy that contained the monstrous beast and a slender female figure engaged in mortal combat. 

" Impossible! I cannot be defeated by a mere shinigami! I am the mighty Xantanas, second only to Brigade Commander Surgatanus! "

Massive gaping jaws lunged for the shinigami who evaded the clumsy attack with ease. Calling forth bolts of lightning between her hands, she send them streaking towards Xantanas, returning the attack with interest. 

" Be gone, demon! "

" No~! " 

The denial was cut short as the lightning streaks hammered home, shearing deep into the beast. The shinigami hastily shielded herself as the fiend imploded, black acidic blood and pieces of carcass raining within the kekkai. As the ghastly remains of Xantanas gradually dissolved into smoke, the kekkai collapsed into tiny sparks of light that dissipated into the gathering twilight. The shinigami released a sigh of relief, grateful that the kekkai had lasted. Had the fight dragged longer, she would not have been able to contain the damage. 

She was exhausted and her body ached with the myriad injuries that Xantanas had scored on her. While the wounds were not major enough to incapacitate her, she was bleeding and she could still feel pain. Almost limping, she moved slowly over to check on the small huddled figure of a child still protected within a smaller kekkai. 

With a wave of her hand, the shinigami dismissed the barrier. An almost overwhelmingly sweet scent of roses engulfed her as she bend towards the small little boy suspended in an unconscious state similar to sleep. Her fight with the demon had hardly disturbed the neatly maintained rose bushes that filled the opulent garden. 

The flowers glimmered with an eerie beauty beneath the light of a full moon, myriad shades ranging from the dark crimson of blood to the virginal whiteness of first snow. No one would have suspected the source of the flowers' sustenance stemmed from the tiny bodies buried nine feet deep. Little children sacrificed in the bloody quest for power and wealth. The shinigami sighed and shook her head, the long silvery strands of her hair falling about her face as she touched the little boy's face. Belatedly, she remembered the blood on her hand and it left a vivid stain on the small cheek, marring the child's look of innocence. 

I must be more tired then I thought...

Taking a corner of her torn coat, the shinigami gently wiped away the red stain. The young boy stirred a little against her action but settled down as she stopped. Thankfully, she had managed to reach him in time before Xantanas appeared so she was sure he would have no memories of this night. Life was already cruel enough and when the day dawn tomorrow in a few short hours, the child would once again be an orphan. His foster father was dead, killed the very moment she destroyed the demon because of the diabolical blood pact that bounded man and fiend.

In farewell, she muttered a soft prayer over the child. Getting to her feet, the shinigami winced slightly as her battered body protested. As she turned to leave, a dove fluttered overhead. Silver gray eyes looked up to see a single white feather drifting down to land on her open palm. The fragile shaft looked almost crystalline as she held it beneath the moonlight. A sudden thought came to her and she tucked the white feather beneath one chubby hand. Perhaps, the child would dream of angels. 

Smiling a smile that never touched her eyes, the shinigami vanished into the predawn darkness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watari yawned mightily and blinked owlish eyes still heavy with not enough sleep. He had a sudden flash of inspiration last night on the reversal potion and had worked doggedly into the small hours of the morning. His constant companion 003 was curled up in a glass beaker, sound asleep with a tiny wing thrown over its eyes to block off the light. Watari picked up the beaker and "poured" the little bird gently into one of the cavernous pockets of his white lab coat. 

Another yawn escaped him as he switched off the lights and let himself out of the laboratory. As he debated between seeking his bed or eating breakfast, Watari walked pass the infirmary when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Walking backwards, he stopped to stare intently at the consultation room window.

" Didn't I off all the infirmary lights before I went to the lab? I couldn't have forgotten especially after Tatsumi gave me that lecture... " Watari scratched his head, a little puzzled. He was further surprised to find the door swinging open when he pushed against it. 

" I even forgot to lock the door? "

Unless...

Thief!

His sleepiness gone, Watari entered the infirmary warily and his hand grasped the fire extinguisher from along the corridor to use as a weapon as he stepped quietly towards the consultation room. His eyes scanned his surroundings carefully as he stopped outside the partially closed door. Taking a deep breath, Watari stormed into the room, kicking the door open with the fire extinguisher held at the ready. 

" Ahhhh! Huh? "

Watari froze in surprise to face a young woman crouched defensively with two talismans held between her long slender fingers. Amber brown eyes met silver gray ones and a second look told Watari that she was in no condition to stand much less fight. Her clothes were tattered and bloody from the many still bleeding gashes that marked her and the hands that held the talismans were shaking. 

" Hane-san!? "

" Wa- ta...."

Watari dropped the fire extinguisher just in time to catch her as she keeled over in a dead faint. 

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	2. Remnant of Memories

whitefeathers2 var yviContents='http://sg.toto.geo.yahoo.com/toto?s=382006072 

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis

Chapter Two: Remnant of Memories

She could hear a woman's laughter.

The sound getting louder, ringing in her ears as the woman came closer. 

Her lips were scarlet red, a brilliant slash on her pale face framed by waves of long silvery white hair. 

Long slender fingers with nails painted the same gory hue reached out for her.

As the woman called her name over and over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hane woke with a start, her body bolted upright as her eyes flared wide. Clenching a fist against her pounding heart, her breath came in short gasps as she tried to calm herself down, fighting off the remnant of her nightmare. Hane closed her eyes, burying her face in her hands as the tresses of her long hair fell over them like a fragile barrier. A temporal shelter for her to gather her strength before she faced the word again. 

The memories remained...

As her composure returned, the feel of gauze against her cheek brought her attention to her immediate surroundings. As Hane opened her eyes, she could see that she was lying in one of the beds in the infirmary and her wounds had all been dressed and bandaged. For a moment, she had no recollection how ended up here. There had been the fight with the demon in the rose garden...

" Hane-san! You're awake! " 

" Watari-san? " She looked up to see the grinning scientist doctor with 003 perched on his shoulder.

" You scared the hell out of me last night. I almost thought you were a thief, you know? " Watari prattled on cheerfully. 

" I'm sorry, Watari-san. I was trying to dress these... " Her memory came back as she regarded the bandages on her arms. 

" Whatever you tangled with last night marked you pretty badly. In my humble opinion, you really need a partner, Hane-san. " 

" It's too dangerous... You knew what happened the last time they assigned someone to work with me... " 

The unwanted vision flashed across her eyes as Hane recalled the unfortunate incident. Her last partner had been almost died because of her inability to protect him. 003 fluttered over and landed on her palm, hooting softly to comfort her. Hane rubbed the tiny owl's face with one finger, grateful for the creature's concern. 

" But still shinigami are mean to work in pairs. That's the rule. " 

" I do know about that. It's the rule so that the privilege of traveling between Meifu and the living world is not abused for personal agendas. After all, we each have our own selfish reasons for continuing to exist as a shinigami." 

" But..." Watari started to protest. 

" Don't worry about me, Watari-san. Even though I don't have a partner, JuOhCho is very much aware of what I do. I'll be more careful next time and I can patch myself up. After all, I used to be a doctor too when I was alive even though it's animals I treated. " 

Hane ruffled the feathers on 003's head as she handed the small owl back to Watari. Throwing the covers back, she got out of bed. A glance at the wall clock told her that it was ten o'clock in the morning. She was however stilled dressed as she was last night. Knowing Watari's obsession to learn more about the female body, she was secretly glad to find herself not dressed in an infirmary gown.

" Thank you, Watari-san. " 

" No need to thank me since I didn't do anything much. You did pretty much of the job before you fainted on me. " He sounded a little disappointed at that. 

" Better luck next time. Now I better get cleaned up before I make my report. I don't think Chief Konoe-san or Tatsumi-san would appreciate seeing me like this. " Hane fingered her tattered and bloodstained coat. 

" I don't think Tatsumi-san would reimburse you for that though. He hates to deal with unplanned expenses. " Watari adjusted his glasses.

" I'll see what I can do. Never thought this job would be so tough on clothes. I'll see you around then. " 

Waving goodbye, Hane left before Watari could engage her in another conversation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kimura Hane...

Special operations shinigami...

Special operations? What could that mean?

Controls natural elemental powers...

Died from illness...

Watari glanced at the scanty information on the computer screen and frowned thoughtfully. He doubted that most shinigami in the Shoukan Division even knew of her existence with the exception of Chief Konoe and Tatsumi. The beautiful shinigami with silver hair and eyes was a mystery. She worked independent of Chou and as to what exactly she did, Watari could only guess but observing the wounds she bore in their last encounter, her job went beyond bringing the dead to Meifu for judgement. 

If not for an accidental visit at the division office to see if he could pester a free meal off Tatsumi, he would have never met her but he remembered that Chief Konoe had not seemed too pleased to introduce them. There was also the incident of her partner who had almost died on a mission with her. He had arrived at the infirmary one night after an urgent call from Tatsumi to find her working feverishly to save her partner's life. Watari could still remember the gruesome wounds on the shinigami who looked as if he had been torn apart. Though they were the Gods of Death, they would still die again if wounded too badly beyond the inherent power to regenerate. It was a testament of Hane's skill as a doctor that she was able to save her partner. He had transferred to another department after that and as far as Watari knew, Hane had operated alone ever since.

Hane...

Feather...

What a beautiful yet strange name...

But it suits her though...

Watari was thinking about her name as he disconnected from the JuOhCho network. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hane pushed open the door and stepped into the quiet and dark office, which was illuminated by the moonlight shining in from the windows. It was late in the night, long after working hours and she would not meet any of her fellow colleagues. She knew there would be a day when her existence could not be kept quiet but at the moment Hane preferred to keep it secret for as long as it could last. There were things about her that certain individuals were better off not knowing. The knowledge would only cause more grief and Hane was not sure if she was ready to deal with those feelings.

Her report was done and she had came to hand it in. Walking towards Chief Konoe's cubicle, her gray coat barely making a rustle as she brushed past the desks that were neatly arranged in the room. Slipping into the cubicle, she placed her report on the table and picked up the folder that had been left for her. Her silver eyes glanced through the few sheets of papers but the folder's content failed to surprise her. Another case of suspected demonic possession. It appeared that she would soon make the acquaintance of another of Hell's denizen.

She was the logical choice to assign to these cases being without any jurisdiction of Chou. Furthermore, besides the few shinigami who had the ability to summon shikigami guardian spirits, not many could survive a one-on-one fight with a demon. Her first and last partner had been the proof of that and from her few encounters, the elemental powers she wielded were much more effective against an unholy foe. She did not come out of these skirmishes unscalded but Hane had not objections. It did not mattered if she got hurt or injured as long as those she protected were safe. 

Closing the folder, she was about to leave when she heard the rapid staccato of someone at typing on a keyboard. Hane was surprised, as she had not seen anyone when she arrived. As soon as she stepped out of the cubicle, she felt the keen regard of a pair of vivid blue eyes. The secretary of the Shoukan Division was seated behind his table, fingers flying as he put finishing touches to a report. Hane did not doubt the razor sharp intelligence that lurked behind those sapphire eyes. She was sure that very few things happen without the man having knowledge of it. Tatsumi Seiichiro was not nicknamed the shadow dictator of the Shoukan Division for frivolous reasons. 

" Watari-san told me you were hurt. " He got to his feet and closed the narrow distance between them to stand before her.

" It was nothing serious just a few cuts. I'm fine. " Perhaps sensing skepticism in the way Tatsumi regarded her, Hane lifted her right hand and drew back the sleeve to show him that the wounds had fully healed. 

" That's good. Do be more careful next time. " Tatsumi's tone was mild.

" Thank you. I'm sorry to have made you worried. "

" Good night, Tatsumi-san. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hane fled from the room like a startled deer, not realizing what she had done until she stopped in front of grand parliament building that housed the EnmaCho bureau. She stood on the pavement, a lone gray shadow beneath the dim illumination cast by the streetlights. She had not run because she feared Tatsumi but rather it had been the tone of his baritone voice. It was the way he spoke to her that made Hane instinctively recoiled. Like a zephyr that kindled sparks from smoldering embers, the gentle timbre of his voice stirred up the ghosts of her past. The words had been different then but the concerned manner had been the same. It haunted her still and so did the pain that shredded her heart into myriad pieces. 

Why did you have to sound so much like him?

Why did you have to remind me of him?

She had been deeply shaken when she first heard Tatsumi's voice for the first time. It had sounded entirely too familiar for Hane's peace of mind. Self-doubt reared its ugly head and daunted her resolve for a moment but it also pricked her pride. Hane had made a promise and she would see it to the end. Taking a deep breath, she gazed into the vast darkness that was the night sky. The perennial stars remained like diamonds scattered carelessly across ebony velvet and on a night like this; Hane had held a glittering shard in her hands. Yet, the gem along with the future it symbolized was long gone. Pulling the collar of her coat up against the night chill, Hane released a soft sigh over her unhealthy tendency to dwell in the past. Taking a moment to get her composure back, she departed to start her new assignment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Another month in the red... Time to implement more cost cutting measures... " 

Tatsumi muttered to himself as he saved the latest financial report before shutting down his computer terminal to call it a day. Draping his suit jacket over one arm and picking up his briefcase, he switched off the table lamp to plunge the office into a word of moonlight and shadows. As he walked by the windows, Tatsumi glanced out and caught the sight of a new moon. Looking at the pale silver crescent suspended against the night, Tatsumi raised a hand to his face. His expression became thoughtful as he contemplated the brief encounter between Hane and himself. 

The woman interested him and there was nothing Tatsumi liked more that unraveling puzzles especially when the puzzle was related to the Shoukan Division under his supervision. With each and every successful completion of her assignments, Hane was becoming the major contributor to division. Due to her extraordinary duties, Hane received considerable sums as her bonus besides her normal remuneration yet for some unfathomable reason she had chose to inject the money back into the division's operating budget. She was definitely footing the bill for some of Tsuzuki's mistakes since with his miserable salary, Tsuzuki would probably work for free for another one or two hundred years. 

While Tatsumi was not a man who cared about vanity in appealing to women, he had been surprised greatly by Hane's reaction to him. Every time they interacted, he had the impression that she was trying to flee or avoid him. Tatsumi was no adept at dealing with women but he had no problems with Yuma and Saya. The two girls seemed to like him but then again, Yuma and Saya liked everybody. He also got along fine with Wakaba so it was bothering him a little that Hane had ran from him again. 

The moon reminded him of the color of her eyes and their expression when she had looked at him. There had been a sense of wariness but behind that Tatsumi was sure there was also a vague sense of melancholy. The hand, she raised to him as she made light of her injuries, appeared entirely too fragile. Tatsumi was curious about the reason behind Hane's decision to become a shinigami and he had checked up on her but the information available was too scanty for his satisfaction. He suspected that Chief Konoe knew something but the old man was being tight-lipped about it. 

As Tatsumi let himself out of the office and locked up, he vowed he would know more about the woman called Kimura Hane.

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	3. Lost One

whitefeathers3

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis

Chapter Three: Lost One 

__

The words were whispered softly into her ear.

His voice soft and sibilant. 

" You are a doll... "

" A living doll..."

" And you belong to me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like a setting right out of a gothic novel, the ancient chapel loomed into view as Hane trekked up the narrow winding path. The setting sun overcast by gathering storm clouds only heightened the ominous atmosphere. A lone crow perched on the crumbling stone cross of the bell tower seem to be observing her approach and even from a distance Hane could tell that the bird was entirely too still to be normal the only sound she could hear was the howl of the wind. 

Like a great black beast, the dilapidated church crouched under the shadow of the overhanging cliff and Hane could feel an almost physical sense of evil pulsating like a heart deep within. As she reached the end of the path, she could see that lewd and obscene graffiti covered the walls but to her trained eye, she detected the various arcane glyphs and symbols hidden among them, defiling the very elements that once made the place consecrated. Hane glanced up towards the bell tower but the crow was gone. 

A silver brow rose as she beheld the huge rotting double doors that guarded the entrance to the chapel. The wood was covered from top to bottom with dark red runes that twisted and warped with perverted life before her eyes. Her arrival had been anticipated after all, someone or something had taken the trouble to set up a seal to block her. The damp surface and lingering stench also told her that a sacrifice had been performed to provide the fresh blood needed to write those runes.

Overhead, lightning streaked across the dark sky throwing everything into stark black and white. Hane felt a drop of moisture on her face and before long the heavens started to pour. The rain was cold and she could feel the chill even through the coat she wore. Reaching out with one hand, Hane touched the blood seal. A blinding flash flared as the dark magic etched onto the decaying wood sought to repel her. The runes reared free of the door metamorphosing into sinuous serpents that lunged for her with bared fangs.

" Blaze! "

From her outstretched hand, tongues of red-gold flames fanned across the sealed portal. The rune serpents retreated with furious hisses, twisting and convoluting across the burning door. The writhing forms melting like wax as the inferno engulfed them. The doors had been reduced to nothing more than ashes when Hane recalled her fire. Standing amidst the wind and rain, she raised dispassionate eyes to meet the silent challenge issued by the inexorable darkness within before she stepped over the threshold. 

" Very impressive, I must say. " The sound of someone applauding accompanied the remark. 

White flames suddenly flared into life on the wick of black candles with the unnatural fire provided scant illumination but it was enough for Hane to make a quick study of the place. Not a single pew remained within the chapel and near altar where the crucifix with the figure of Christ once stood, was an inverted cross with the inverted body of a man crucified. He had been the sacrifice victim for the blood seal and the slash that severed his jugular had been so brutal that the head was almost decapitated, joined to the body by only the skin. Hane walked halfway down the length of the aisle before she paused, her foot almost touching the perimeter of a pentagram sprawled across the floor to the altar. Black candles denoted the five points of the star but it was something else that drew her eyes. Placed at the base of the cross beneath the sacrifice was an ancient bronze vessel. 

" I see you recognized it. The vessel is a relic used in the ancient Celtic rituals by the Druids. They believed greatly in sacrifices, human or otherwise, and I agree wholeheartedly with them. You've impressed me again, shinigami. "

A figure emerged from the shadows to stand by the altar. It was a man dressed in the dark vestments of a priest but it was the almost inhuman beauty of his face and form that surprised Hane but the surprise faded quickly. She had learned quickly enough to become jaded against the depravity masked behind the veneer of beauty. A huge black crow perched upon his shoulder watched her with the black malevolent beads that were its eyes and Hane was sure that the bird was the very same one she saw outside. An amused smile was on the perfectly sculpted lips of the creature's master as he deliberately moved towards her. 

" What a lovely surprise... " Cold blue eyes raked her brazenly from head to foot.

" How kind of your superiors... We might as well enjoy each other. You are very beautiful, shinigami. Has anyone ever told you... " 

His voice was low with sensual anticipation as he stopped right in front of Hane. The aristocratic face was inches from her own. The Lost One was trying to unnerve her with his blatant seduction. An elegant finger traced down her cheek and Hane felt his breath against her ear as he whispered softly.

" You look like an angel? " 

" Is this putrid carcass what you exchanged your soul for? "

The Lost One jerked his hand back as if burnt and his eyes narrowed with hate. He moved away from her into the sanctuary of the pentagram before flinging one arm up violently, sending the crow on his shoulder flapping to the rafters above. Tossing the long platinum hair that flowed luxuriously down his back, the impossibly beautiful man laughed and fondled his body in private ecstasy. Obsessed with his own narcissism, he had betrayed his faith and fallen into the grandeur of the illusion that he was Lucifer reborn. Madness shadowed his expression, as he grew quiet.

" No, you are wrong. My beauty is eternal, promised to me. I am the one of the Chosen and when the Day of Reckoning arrives, I will stand by His side! I bring you an offering, my Dark Master! " 

He screamed dementedly even as he slashed his wrist with a long dagger made of bone. Yet instead of the bright crimson blood of a living man, black viscous slime-like fluid spewed from the wound, gushing forth like a stream. The Lost One began to chant in Latin while he sketched arcane symbols wildly with the bone dagger. Fused with an ancient power called to life by the incantations, the dark fluid begun to coalesce together into a form. 

" Come to me in the name of Lucifer! Rise and honor thy Dark Father, I summon thee, Ramcor! "

With its true name spoken, the summoned fiend took physical form. The massive horned bull's head reared as it let out a bestial bellow shook the old chapel to its foundations. Hane stood her ground before the towering monstrosity; her cool silver gray eyes impassive even at the massive claw that slashed down at her. At the very last moment, she raised one hand to block the savage attack. The impact should have reduced the shinigami to bloody shreds but the Lost One staggered back confounded to see the shinigami still whole.

It was minor demon that backed away from her, one muscled forearm falling onto the floor, severed cleanly. The same black fluid that had spurted from the Lost One, surged from the open wound of his summoned minion. A high pitched scream rent the air as his beautifully formed arm suffered the same fate. 

" Flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood. From your condemnation, rose his existence...A mirror reflection of your soul. " 

" No..... No....No... Spare me... please.... not my body... my beautiful body... " The beautiful face had turned repulsive, the fine features distorted with fear. 

Her slender fingers moved, thin gossamer threads of flame entangling Ramcor until the beast resembled a puppet. Without a warning, Hane wrenched the threads. The filaments of fire bit deep, cutting through tendon and bone as she dismembered both man and demon. The sound of wings flapping threw Hane's attention as the crow sought to escape with the demise of its master. A talisman appeared in her hand and she flung it out, the paper turning into an arrow as it streaked towards its target. She did not miss her mark with the shaft taking the bird in flight, right through the breast. 

Her part was done and the other JuOhCho divisions would take care of the rest. She walked out of the chapel but when Hane felt the piercing cold rain pouring down on her, her composure cracked. The Lost One's madness had distressed her, it was all too familiar. Madness touched her all her life and now even after death, it plagued her still. Hane shivered but it was not from the cold. Perhaps one day soon, she would cross the thin line and plunge into insanity. 

__

After all, I was born in madness...


	4. Mirror

whitefeathers4

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis 

Chapter Four: Mirror

__

" No please! Don't do this! "

They laughed at her feeble attempts to fight and they bound her hands. They touched and fondled her body deliberately, cruelly tormenting her with the knowledge of what lay ahead.

" Why are you doing this? What have I done to you? " 

Tears were falling unheeded down her face but the sight only seemed to excite them more. A hand grasped her long hair and pulled sharply, jerking her head up to look into a face that was not unknown to her.

" Saki?! "

" Hello, little sister. You were a pretty child and you've grown up into a pretty girl. " 

He caressed her face, fingers trailing from the corner of her eyes down to her cheek. Slowly leaning forward, he licked at the streak of tears beneath her left eye with his tongue. The sensation repulsed her and he could feel her instinctive need to lurch away. It amused him and made him laughed before he seized her jaw and kissed her viciously. 

" Don't blame me, little sister. You shouldn't have resembled your brother so much. Let the fun begin! "

" No! "

Her scream was lost in the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

Oniisan...

You were the only one who cared...

You promised to protect me...

Never did I suspect...

You hated me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" You guys missed out on something good this morning. " Wakaba said suddenly.

Four pair of male eyes regarded her quizzically over her statement. It was the morning time break time and Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Terazuma and Tatsumi were holed up in the pantry. Terazuma looked his usual surly self and did not acknowledge his partner's comment. Tsuzuki and the rest however put down their coffee mugs to give her their attention.

" What is it, Wakaba-san? Did we miss out on something good for breakfast? You didn't save anything for us? " Tsuzuki asked, looking like a disappointed puppy.

" Cut that out! I'm sure Wakaba-san is not talking about food. "

" I'm afraid Hisoka-kun is right. It's not about food, Tsuzuki-san. A lady came in this morning to look for Chief Konoe. "

" A lady? An old Obasan, you mean. " Terazuma slipped his coffee with an air of indifference.

" No, no. She's young... about mid-twenties I think. She's very pretty too... I've never seen someone with silver hair and eyes. "

Hisoka's hand tightened almost involuntarily around his mug at Wakaba's words. A vision of a man with lips twisted in a mocking smile flashed into his mind and he felt a sudden chill. He suppressed the unease quickly and was glad that no one noticed. 

" Silver.... " Tatsumi said slowly and his expression grew thoughtful.

" You know her, Tatsumi-san? " Tsuzuki asked.

" I might. Did she leave her name or tell you why she was looking for Chief Konoe? "

" She passed me an envelope and asked me to give it to him when he comes in. I've already put it on the Chief's desk. Oh yes! Her name! It's quite special too. "

" Hane, Kimura Hane, isn't it? Wakaba-chan. " Tatsumi said, taking his glasses off to polish them.

" Eh? You are right! "

" Feather? Why would anyone want to be named that? " Terazuma leaned back in his chair, looking totally bored with the conversation topic.

" It sounds pretty! " Tsuzuki and Wakaba chorused. 

" Who is she, Tatsumi-san? " Hisoka asked warily.

" She's one of us. "

~~~~~~~~~~~~

She stood by the large windows, watching the sakura in bloom. It had not been an easy decision coming into the office during the day but she was running out of time. Her level of control was slipping and very soon the memories would overwhelm her. She was losing the will to keep her inner demons at bay and before that happened, she had to find him. 

" Kimura-san! "

Hane turned away from the view and returned the greeting of Wakaba. Besides Tatsumi, it was the first time Hane was meeting her colleagues in the flesh but her eyes were drawn only to two individuals. The amethyst eyes that regarded were warm and friendly without any trace of guile. Tsuzuki's grin was so infectious that Hane could not help but return with a smile as she shook his hand. Terazuma regarded her with interest as they self-introduced and she noticed that Wakaba did not look too happy at that. 

__

She likes him but he doesn't know... Hane realized.

Tatsumi merely nodded at her in greeting and she acknowledged it by inclining her head slightly. There was something about him that affected her but she had no time to ponder over it. Only one person was left and as she approached him, Hane could see from the unease in those vivid green eyes that her appearance had stirred something within him but she could only hope that he would not make the connection too soon.

" This is Hisoka, He's my partner! " Tsuzuki announced happily as he dragged Hisoka to her. 

" I can walk, you know! " Hisoka snapped a little irritated. 

" Hello, Hisoka-kun. " 

She purposely blanked her thoughts as she shook his hand, understanding the nature of his telepathic and empathic abilities. Hisoka was somewhat apprehensive when he touched her. There was something about her that nagged at his subconscious but he relaxed when he sensed nothing out of the ordinary. 

Hane watched his reaction and almost released a sigh of relief when Hisoka gave her a tentative smile. It would not do to let her guard slip now at this crucial period. She needed both Tsuzuki and Hisoka to bring her to him. Before that, none of them must know the relationship between the man she was searching for and herself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The old city was steeped in an atmosphere of rustic charm as Hane glided through the streets beneath the cold light of a full moon. She had came to Kyoto in secret, acting on her own without the sanction of JuOhCho. She knew he was here, the blood between them was too strong a link. 

Being known in the Shoukan Division had given her access to the information on the case of multiple murders of women in Kyoto. There was no connection between the murder victims in terms of age, occupation and even the modus operandi but the strange reoccurrence among the victims was that a part of their hair had all been sheared. It was not an unusual case by any means but when Watari under whose jurisdiction Kyoto fell under, had asked for the assistance of Tsuzuki and Hisoka, her suspicions had been aroused. 

__

Soon...

It'll end...

Soon...

Oniisan...

Like a silver ghost, Hane flew towards her destiny, letting his presence guide her. This was her last and only chance to find the answers to the questions that remained unresolved since her death. She was aware the truth might very well destroy all that she had lived for but she had to know. 

She stopped before the closed gates of a park, hesitating as uncertainty suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. Her eyes looked up to see sakura petals drifting down upon her as a breeze of the night wind shook them loose. Like snow touched with a faint blush of pink, they fell upon her and their poignant beauty comforted her. Hane stepped forward, her body becoming more incorporeal as she drifted through the ornate metal gates towards the maze that lied within. Resolutely, she sought the heart of the labyrinth where she knew he would be waiting. 

He was there standing upon a pedestal, a white silhouette against the blood red moon that loomed above in the unfathomable darkness. His coat fluttered in the wind like the wings of a bird of prey as he turned to face her. Silver eyes, the mirror of her own, regarded her with mild amusement.

" You should not have come here, Hane. You should not have returned."

" I came back because I had to know... why. Why I had to... die. "

Her response made him laugh but it was a cruel sound that mocked her.

" Do you really want to know? The truth is not kind, my little sister. " 

" Tell me why, Oniisan. " Hane asked quietly.

" Your very existence is a bane, Hane. How I wish you could have never been born into this world... "

He leaped down, landing gracefully before her. Pale long-fingered hands grasped her chin, lifting her head up so that he could see her face by the light of the moon.

" Do you know why you did not carry the surname of Muraki, Hane? " 

" Yes, I knew... " Hane whispered.

" You are a bastard, Hane. A child that Mother had with another man. She betrayed the Muraki family in order to spite Father and had you with her doctor. It was an irony really... Father having affairs with his patients so that's why she tried the same? But she failed miserably... because by then Father did not even care if she was dead or alive. "

" Mother betrayed the Muraki family... She betrayed me.... by doing such a disgraceful thing. And she replaced me with you... you became her favorite doll in my place... " 

His voice was sibilant, each breath falling like frost against her ear as his words chilled her to the bone. He lay one finger at the corner of her left eye, moving down he steadily applied pressure until he drew a bloody gash across her cheek with his nail. Her blood stained her face and his hand but strangely she felt no pain. Releasing her, he lifted his fingers to his lips and licked them delicately like a cat, enjoying the coppery taste of the sanguine fluid against his tongue.

" Is that why you hate me, just like you hated him? " 

He knew whom she was talking about even when she mentioned no names and his remaining living eye narrowed.

" Saki? Yes, he was a bastard just like you. The bastard who destroyed my family but still I had to thank him for doing me a favor. Your screams were music to my ears. " 

Hane froze with shock as the implications went through her. He had been there that night so long ago at that deserted construction site where Saki and his gang had taken her. He had been there watching and listening in the shadows when they ripped her clothes off and violated her. Listening to her scream in terror and pain as they plunge brutally into her body again and again beginning with Saki. Her caring elder half-brother who had found her later had been there all along. 

" No... " Tears fell unheeded down her face as she shook her head in denial.

" I was surprised that you could recover from the trauma. I could have left you alone but he had to appear. That fool. "

" Hideaki... " She no longer saw him but the image of another man, the man she loved. 

" Yes, Takenouchi Hideaki, the man who became your fiancé. You belong to me because you are a doll that I have inherited from Mother. No one can take away my possession. "

" Hideaki... " Hane called out his name brokenly.

" You killed him, Hane. You forced my hand when you married him. He would have taken you away and I could not allow that. You made me kill him, my beautiful angel... my fallen angel. " 

Muraki Kazutaka embraced her, not so much to comfort but to stake his claim over her again. He was right; the truth only shattered everything she had ever believed in. Death had not freed her; it had only made a satire of her entire life. Yet she was no longer the woman she was in life. Her memories had changed her forever.

" I have always had this image of you with wings - beautiful pure white wings outstretched from your back. But then again, a fallen angel has no need for wings. " He kissed her, a chaste brotherly kiss on the cheek he had scarred earlier but the wound had since healed. 

__

I could have flown free,

But you took away my wings...

You tore them from my back

And scattered bloodstained feathers in the wind...

" I'm no angel. " 

Hane shoved him away from her violently. Her voice was low and harsh with her grief but there was an undertone of anger. The move surprised him and Muraki staggered back before he regained his balance. The glance that he threw her from one living silver orb was contemplative. Liking what he saw, Muraki smiled.

" I'm no angel.... I'm a shinigami... " 

" And you still belong to me. " 

" No. " 

She moved towards him, a sudden flash of gray with one hand streaking up. Time started and stopped as two figures stood still beneath the face of a crimson moon. Hane could feel the steady pulse of his heartbeat beneath the thin blade of ice she pressed against his throat even as she stared into a face once so familiar yet had became so remote. All it took was the slightest pressure for the razor sharp edge of ice to slice deep into the vulnerable flesh of Muraki's jugular and she had reason enough to want him dead but at this moment of truth, she faltered. 

" Would you kill me then? Would you take my life? Take a human life when even the lives of animals were important to you? Hane... my perfect little doll. " Muraki grasped her wrist with enough force to bruise. 

" You'll always be my puppet... A puppet tied by that cursed blood that binds us both. You have no idea how happy you've made me, Hane. I had been so disappointed when I thought you had slipped through my fingers after succumbing to the serum that I injected you with. I would never have done that if that unfortunate incident with Takenouchi had not happened. But what once was lost has now been found... my forgotten favorite toy. "

He whispered against her ear as he took the blade of ice from her unresisting fingers. Muraki turned the knife in his hand, watching as its crystalline facets reflected the hazy red moonlight before he savagely shattered it with a raw burst of power. Anger long deserted her, leaving her desolate and empty. She would never be free of him and Muraki smiled again as he saw the realization in her eyes. 

" We'll meet again..., Hane. "

It was a promise as he left her falling to her knees amidst a swirl of white feathers. Hane trembled as she picked up a snowy pinion. It had been a symbol of her naiveté and her namesake but now it was badge of her shame. He was right after all; a fallen angel has no need for wings. Clutching the white feathers in her hands, she wept brokenly for the death of her innocence. 

And in the distance, shadows quietly withdrawn from the shade of sakura trees.


	5. Dance with Shadows

"Shiroi Hane"

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis 

Chapter Five: Dance with Shadows

__

He was late. 

She was supposed to wait for him in the church before the ceremony starts but as another hour passed, she could not help but fret. She paced up and down the hallway in her wedding finery while the priest looked on, his expression growing increasingly impatient as the groom failed to show. 

He won't do this to me...

The thought frightened her a little but the presence of the diamond proposal ring on her finger assured her. Hideaki would not abandon her this way not after promising to take care for her. She would have never been able to put the ordeal behind her if it had not been for the gentle persistent love he had given to her.

Besides her brother, he was the only family she had left. 

He won't leave her behind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everything was coming back to her in an instant. The missing pieces falling into place in the gaps of her memory. She now understood the reason behind the absence of a father all her life. Hane was brought into the world not because she was wanted as a daughter to be cherished. She was conceived out of a woman's madness and desire for vengeance for a husband's faithlessness. 

But her mother saw her as a toy, the prefect addition to her collection of dolls. Hane remembered how her mother loved to dress her up and cuddle her when the notion took her. She was then cast aside to be forgotten when her mother got tired of her. All the while, she remembered the boy who watched her with silver eyes so much like her own yet he never spoke to her. 

__

Hate had sprung full-grown in his heart even then...

It was only after her mother's death that she was removed from the Muraki household. Hane lived with an old servant as a companion in a small apartment in Tokyo until she was fourteen before she was left all alone to live on her own. She was given enough money to live comfortably and it was during her high school years that she came to known the half-brother who like her resembled their mother. She had been overjoyed to know that she had an elder sibling, welcoming him without any reservations totally unaware of just what he had planned for her. 

Hane was bait he would use to tempt Saki - the other half-brother that had no blood ties with her. Muraki played the protective elder brother to her merely to give the impression that she could be used against him. He had anticipated correctly for Saki rose quickly to the occasion. All the more because Hane was not related to Saki by blood, the treatment she received under his hand would be more brutal and cruel. 

The half-brother she had loved; set her up to be gang raped. 

It took her years to get over the trauma and the nightmares that plagued her. Hane lived in fear and insecurity, shutting herself off from human contact. She would have killed herself but he stopped her. He gave her encouragement and support until she was strong enough to face the world once more. Muraki was merely picking her up to another fall. 

Hane choose to study veterinary medicine because she believed that animals were kinder than humans were. A dog might bite her but it would be because of pain or instinct for self-preservation and not because of the genuine intent to hurt. It was in veterinary college where she met the man who dared to venture into her heart to make it whole. 

He took everything away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was pouring; torrents of cold unfeeling rain falling down from dark heavens but a lone woman trudged on. Her coat was drenched, an extra weight that dragged at her as she took each step. The rain plastered her long pale hair against her skull but she did not even lift a hand to brush away the heavy tresses that had fallen across her eyes. 

She did not need to see where she was going for her feet knew the way for they would take her to the labyrinth once again. The maze shaped by the fastidiously tended rose hedges seemed dismal in the rainy night. The once radiant blooms battered by the merciless rain lost their beauty too soon as they paved for her a path of dark red velvet. The fragile petals crushed beneath her foot, their pungent perfume permeating in the humid atmosphere. 

Silver eyes were a shade darker, their luminance now dulled to a stormy pewter as if reflecting the turmoil within. She came to heart of the maze as she had but a few nights ago but the one she had hoped to see was not there. He had not honored the request she had made through Oriya. 

__

Do not cross your brother, Hane...

He had told her, a not so subtle warning that she would only suffer more by going against her half-brother. Oriya's expression told her that he pitied her when he had shown her out of his establishment. She was not safe even as a shinigami for he would use her. Use her to bring Tsuzuki Asato to him just as he had used Kurosaki Hisoka. 

" Who are you, Kimura Hane? " 

The question was spoken from the shadows and the voice was cold but Hane could sense the hidden anger beneath. She closed her eyes and answered wearily. 

" Why ask when you already have the answer. " 

The secretary of the Shoukan Division stepped forth from his cloak of shadows and his cerulean blue eyes were unforgiving as he regarded her. His animosity was so apparent that it almost hit her like a tangible force. Tatsumi's fierce protectiveness touched her yet at the same time it only saddened her. 

" As you already know by now I am Muraki Kazutaka's half-sister. Perhaps what you should ask is what is my purpose here, Tatsumi. " 

" I know very well what Muraki wants. What that surprises me however is that you would risk dying and becoming a shinigami to help him. " Tatsumi raised a hand to his face, adjusting his glasses.

" Yes, Shadow Summoner. He wants the shinigami with the amethyst eyes and who else is in a better position to help him as his sister. " Her smile was feral, openly goading. 

" If Muraki thinks he can get to Tsuzuki through you, he's making a big mistake. I will not allow anyone to hurt him! " 

Pieces of the night gathered around him as Tatsumi called his shadows. They swirled and danced about him like hungry wolves waiting for his command. The once gloomy night was now tense with quiet anticipation even as they faced each other. Restrained energy pulsed about Tatsumi and Hane knew he would not hold back once he attacked. 

" Traitor! " 

Living darkness lunged, heading straight for where she stood and was bounced off as Hane cast a kekkai. Leaping backwards with boneless grace, she effortlessly dodged his successive strikes to land upon the pedestal. 

" Impressive, Tatsumi. Now it's my turn. " 

Raising her arms, Hane became a conduit for raw lightning as she channeled the elemental power through her own body. She retaliated in equal measure with arcs of lightning. Opposing forces crashed and separated as they battled in the rain. Tatsumi gave her no quarter, ruthlessly driving her back with his offensive. Shadows belonged in darkness giving a natural advantage to the shadow summoner. 

Hane fell back, the lunging shadows missing her by sheer inches taking a few strands of her hair. She went into a defensive stance even as liquid ebony shapes assembled again around their master. Hane gripped two pieces of fuda between her fingers. Her breath was growing increasingly short as Tatsumi slowly wore her down. She was aware she would not last much longer. Hane muttered a series of incantations and power gathered about her creating a nimbus that spanned outward from her crossed hands. Tatsumi moved, his shadows surging for her driven by his cold fury. 

" Arigatou... Tatsumi-san. " 

Hane whispered as the shield of light around her dissipated like a mirage. 

__

She had no other road to choose...

For only way to be truly free was to die once again.


	6. Saying Goodbye

"Shiroi Hane"

"Shiroi Hane"

Written by Calis

Chapter Six: Saying Goodbye 

She felt no pain as the shadows tore through her body with enough force to hurl her backwards to crash against the hard unyielding ground of crushed and trampled rose petals. She lay still like a puppet with severed strings, falling from the hands of its manipulator into a tangle of still unmoving limbs.

She slipped into the comforting embrace of darkness. Drifting in space, as her body became weightless. Her memories lost the edge to hurt even as they flashed through her mind like images of a reel of film playing silently. Nothing could touch her here in this sanctuary. Someone called her name softly, a voice she never thought she would hear again. She turned to see a familiar figure before her with arms outstretched towards her. A gentle smile graced his beloved face as he beckoned to her. She was dressed in her wedding grown and her future husband was waiting for her. She ran towards him and he caught her in an embrace. Closing her eyes, she abandoned herself to the strength of the arms that held her tight. 

__

Hideaki...

My love...

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took him by surprise when the kekkai vanished and he comprehended her words a second too late. Tatsumi tried to hold back but Hane timed it too well. His shadows speared through her body, flinging her back. Blood a darker shade of red splattered onto the crimson petals and streaked her pale white face. Dropping to his knees beside her unmoving body, Tatsumi could tell that Hane was barely alive. Whipping out his mobile phone, he punched the number reserved for emergencies. 

" GuShoShin! Get Watari to the infirmary immediately! Hane is very badly injured and I'm bringing her in. " 

Cutting the call off, Tatsumi quickly took off his suit jacket and covered her as he gently gathered her into his arms. She felt so insubstantial that he could not help but notice how fragile she was. Cradling Hane protectively, he summoned his shadows once again. As darkness enveloped the two shinigami, they vanished into the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

What could drive a shinigami to suicide? 

She expected me to kill her...

In fact, she practically goaded me into it. 

Why did she want to die? 

Tatsumi paced outside the infirmary as Watari worked frantically inside to save the strange silver-eyed shinigami. While Hane did not resemble her half-brother except in the color of her hair and eyes as well as the pale complexion, he had his suspicions however as it was too much of a coincidence. He was aware of the nature of her powers and their efficacy against Hell denizens but what he could not figure out was why JuuOuChou allowed her to act alone when it had been a long establish rule for all shinigami to have a partner. 

Taking off his glasses, Tatsumi polished the lenses as he pondered. He had tried to run a probe into her background but besides the scant personal information on Kimura Hane, he unearthed nothing. The woman had always been solitary, so much so that most of shinigami did not even know she existed and she seemed to prefer it that way by keeping any required interaction to a minimum. She did not strike him as a fickle person subjected to mercurial moods so when she underwent a complete reversal in behavior, he started watching her with his eyes and his shadows.

She had been very careful but secretly observing her, Tatsumi noticed that she always took special interest in cases that involved Tsuzuki and Hisoka especially when the cases involved the man known as Muraki Kazutaka. Every time this name was mentioned, he saw a strange look cross her silver eyes. One night, he had caught her making copies of the case reports pertaining to Tsuzuki's encounter with the insane doctor. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, Tatsumi had thought that she was possibly a victim like Hisoka until he discovered she had gone to Kyoto secretly and her true relation with Muraki. 

Now that he had time to think clearly without the anger that sprung from the fierce protectiveness he had over Tsuzuki, realization suddenly dawned on Tatsumi as he recalled details of the encounter between Hane and Muraki. It was no loving reunion between siblings but a violent and dismal affair. From what he could discern from their conversation, Muraki had been responsible for the death of Hane's fiancé. Having a sister whom he held dear, Tatsumi was appalled by the extent of depravity that the maniacal doctor flaunted.

" Takenouchi Hideaki... " 

Tatsumi muttered the name softly, his expression thoughtful. Turning on his heel, he headed back towards the office. He could not help Watari in trying to save her but he could at least delved into Hane's past from another angle. Tatsumi needed to know the reason behind the things that she did. Logging in to the main computer database, it didn't take the secretary long to find the record on Takenouchi Hideaki.

The man was a surgeon in a prestigious Tokyo hospital and everything about him was quite mundane except for the cause of his death. Takenouchi had been brutally murdered in his house on his wedding day. Tatsumi went through the grisly details as he called up the forensic report. The body had been torn apart carelessly like a paper doll with blood, limbs and viscera scattered across the floor of the living room in a bizarre painting of death. Thorough forensic tests were conducted but the murder left not a single clue. The key suspect was the victim's intended bride, last seen at the church where the wedding was to be held. According to the testimony of the priest who was supposed perform the ceremony, she had been very distressed when the groom had failed to show for more than three hours past the appointed time. The woman disappeared without a trace and it was three years later at her own death was she found as a coma patient in the very hospital that her dead fiancé used to work at.

__

Muraki hid her away...

Why?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" You didn't hold back. " Watari glared at Tatsumi accusingly. 

He was exhausted after working madly trying to save the life of a woman who had already died once. Watari had done his best but he could not help feeling that it was not enough. Hane was barely breathing and throughout the six hours that he had operated on her, she had not regained consciousness. He did not know her well and perhaps no one at the Shoukan Division did but he had seen snippets of her character through the few accidental times that he had encountered her, which had touched him deeply. It did not sit well with Watari that Tatsumi had caused grievous hurt to someone he considered a friend. 

" Yes, I did not but it was her who dismissed the kekkai at the last moment, " Tatsumi replied calmly.

" That doesn't answer why did you attack her in the first place? She's one of us for goodness sake, Tatsumi! " Watari continued to rant. 

" I did not attack her without a reason, Watari-san. Hane goaded me into it. Did you know that Hane is Muraki Kazutaka's half-sister? " 

" Muraki?! You mean that crazy doctor who was after Tsuzuki-san...? ... Oh my... you must have thought.... she's.... involved... "

" She would not have help Muraki. " A new voice interrupted the two men. 

" Kachou! " 

" I guess it's no point hiding information about her at this stage. Kimura Hane was drafted into the Shoukan Division primary for her abilities. It was just an unfortunate coincidence that she had to be Muraki Kazutaka's half-sister. I think that you already have a more or less complete picture about her, Tatsumi."

Konoe had immediately reported the accident to EnmaDaiOu after being informed by one of the GuShoShin brothers. EnmaDaiOu had not been pleased about the whole affair. Konoe had been tasked further to investigate the cause of the internal conflict and to ensure that Hane recover for which EnmaDaiOu had issued a direct order for her to be taken to the GenSouKai. The head of the Shoukan Division went away, puzzled by the order as he made his way to the infirmary just in time to see two of his subordinates almost arguing over the shinigami who now lay two doors away.

" Tatsumi-san, what did you find out about Hane? " Watari asked anxiously. 

Taking a deep breath, Tatsumi proceed to narrate the events leading up to the confrontation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

" I've missed you and those are the words that I never thought I would say. " Hane's words were muffled against the thick fabric of her intended's jacket.

She heard his quiet chuckle as Hideaki whirled her around the ballroom. They were dancing gracefully and he skillfully led her through the waltz. Hane could smell the delicate fragrance of the white lilies that decorated by the length of the room in celebration for her wedding. The lily was his favorite flower because he always said that the elegant blossom reminded him of her.

" There are a lot of things you never said to me, Hane. " His voice was soft with amusement.

His hazel eyes were warm as he smiled down at her and raised her hand to his lips. It had been those gentle laughing orbs that had drawn her the first time she looked into them when he brought his reluctant puppy to the clinic where she worked for vaccination. He had subsequently invented all sort of strange reasons to see her until one day he finally mustered enough courage to ask her out for a date. It had all been so silly and sweet. 

Hane had resisted his advances because the shadow of her past haunted her. It made her dare not love because she felt that she was no longer worthy. Hideaki had been relentlessly pursuing her until she rejected him with the truth but he preserved. Wearing her defenses down day by day with his acceptance and patience. 

He understood her so well...

" I...."

He kissed her, silencing the words of blame she meant to say. 

" But some things are better left unsaid.... All because I can always feel what you feel."

Tears fell from her eyes as she felt the loss of their future as his arms loosen, releasing her from his embrace.

" And that is all that I need to know... you don't have to say a thing."

He stepped backed from her, growing fainter and fainter until she could not longer see his face. 

" Live for me, Hane. For there are those who need you."

" Promise me... "

" Live for me, my love... "

His voice faded into silence as the world around her dissolved into white feathers. 


	7. Another World

Chapter Seven: Another World  ****

Chapter Seven: Another World 

Watari glanced a little forlornly out of the window, a doleful expression on his normally cheerful face. He leaned his elbows on the ledge, propping his chin with his hands as he let himself feel a little depressed for a rare moment. Behind him, his patient lay as still as a mannequin. 003 hooted at him as the small owl fluttered onto his shoulder, as if telling him to snap out of the emotional ditch he had dug himself into. Watari sighed as he patted the soft downy head of 003.

" How is she? " 

" Oh hi, Tatsumi-san. " Watari turned and greeted the cool sapphire-eyed shinigami somewhat dispiritedly.

" Her physical wounds have almost recovered yet she is still in a coma. I've done everything but she's not responding. " 

His cerulean eyes widen briefly when Tatsumi saw how affected Watari was and a certain wild notion flashed in his mind. Tatsumi smiled slightly at the direction of that stray thought but composed himself quickly as he placed a hand on the other shinigami's white-clad shoulder in a gesture of encouragement. 

" It's got nothing to do with your skills as a doctor, Watari-san. Hane's wounds are beyond those physical ones caused by me. I think her encounter with Muraki Kazutaka evoked some past emotional and mental trauma. By remaining in a coma state, she is only trying to protect herself. " 

" Muraki Kazutaka... That man is truly a monster!" Watari clenched a fist fervently.

" There will be a reckoning the next time I cross paths with that doctor but first I need to bring Hane to GenSouKai. " 

" GenSouKai? " Even 003 gave a surprised hoot. 

" It's a direct order from EnmaDaiOu. " 

Tatsumi replied as he moved to raise the bed until Hane was in a semi-sitting position. Occupied by his thoughts, Watari suddenly noticed that Tatsumi dressed for travelling in a mahogany overcoat. Another coat of soft dove gray had been placed on the bed when Tatsumi had entered the room. Taking the gray coat, Tatsumi gently bundled the unconscious Hane into it. When he was done, he lifted her from the bed, careful to support her frail body against his. Her head rested against his collarbone, the silver fall of her hair covered her face and Tatsumi felt a sense of protectiveness for the woman he carried in his arms. 

" Tatsumi-san, I don't get it? How would being in GenSouKai help Hane regain consciousness? 

" I don't have the answer to that. If EnmaDaiOu wants her there, GenSouKai must hold the key to her recovery. " 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

An increasingly fierce sounding little growl finally penetrated the hazy consciousness of Byakko. The last thing the wind shikigami remembered was that he had discovered a new cave for his customary naps and this new cave had came with an extra nice surprise with a hoard of fresh lychees. It also happened that the fruit with the thin reddish-brown shell and sweet white pulp was one of shikigami's favorites. Byakko had happily gorged himself on the pile of juicy fruit before falling asleep. 

" Grrrrr....! " 

The huge white tiger rolled to his side and continued to snore softly pointedly ignoring the growls as a product of his subconscious inducted by a full belly. 

" Grrrrrrrrr...! "

" Yeeooowww! " 

A sharp stab of pain concentrated near the tip of his tail brought the Western Guardian Beast awake instantaneously with a mighty roar. He glanced around and prowled through the cave, turning his mighty head from left to right but tried as he might, Byakko saw nothing yet his tail continued to sting. Thinking that he could reduce the pain a little by licking his tail, Byakko swung his tail around and his sky blue eyes widened in shock. 

" Nani?! "

~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Welcome to GenSouKai, Shadow Summoner. Your visit is unexpected but a pleasure nonetheless. " Souryuu greeted the Shoukan Division secretary politely using the little known title as a honorific. 

" It is a pleasure to see you as well, Souryuu-sama. However, I am afraid the purpose of my journey here is beyond a mere visit. There is a favor that I need to ask of you, Souryuu-sama. "

Tatsumi inclined his head respectfully as he returned the greeting of the powerful water shikigami that governed the alternative world known as GenSouKai . He had never really thought that he would come to GenSouKai since the need to master a shikigami had never occurred to him. Tatsumi's mastery of shadows had been more than adequate for his duties. He knew that everyone present in the hall was curious to see what kind of request he would make and he also knew that they were already speculating on the woman he still carried in his arms.

" What can I do for you then? " 

" I have here with me a shinigami known as Kimura Hane. She had been badly injured and EnmaDaiOu had issued the order that she be brought to GenSouKai. I cannot stay as other duties bind me thus I humbly request hospitality for her. "

If Souryuu was surprised, he hid it well but the rest of his advisors betrayed their astonishment as they whispered among themselves at the mention of the supreme ruler of Meifu. The wounded shinigami must be of some significance to have warranted such attention. 

" I see. Since it is the wish of EnmaDaiOu, we are honored that she will be our guest for as long as she needs to stay. Kijin, please show our visitors to the Inner Hall." At the command, a youth with hair the same azure shade as Souryuu presented himself to Tatsumi.

" Yes, Otou-sama. I am Kijin at your service, Master Summoner. "

" Well meet, Kijin-sama and I thank you, Souryuu-sama for your generosity. I will excuse myself now. " Following Souryuu's son, Tatsumi left the great hall where the water dragon held court. 

" Don't worry. Master Summoner. We have good physicians here, I'm sure they will be able to help your companion, " Kijin assured him.

" Thank you, Kijin-sama. Please call me Tatsumi. Hane physical wounds have healed; it's emotional and mental ones that still torment her. I have to admit that a partial responsibility is mine to bear." 

" Please call me Kijin then, Tatsumi-san. I am sure that you must have had a good reason for what you have done. I don't believe that you are a cruel man, Tatsumi-san. If you were, you would not have brought her here personally. " 

Tatsumi was surprised that the youth was so perceptive and the comment lapsed into a comfortable silence between them as he followed Kijin's lead. A stranger to GenSuoKai, Tatsumi viewed his surroundings with appreciation. The alternative world was a beautiful place. Passing beneath an archway that separated the administrative hall, they entered the palace that was Souryuu's private quarters. A huge courtyard garden surrounded the magnificent structure, resplendent with well-tended trees and shrubs. Snowy water lilies bloomed in abundant in the ponds and Tatsumi could see the graceful shapes of carps in the water.

" Oniisan! "

A little girl ran towards them, heedless of her ornate robes and threw herself straight at Kijin. The gentle-eyed young man smiled warmly as he caught the laughing child. The open affection between brother and sister touched Tatsumi yet it also made him felt a little sad when he thought of Hane. She too had an elder brother that she loved but death was all he brought to her. 

" Play with me, Oniisan! " The adorable little lass tugged at her brother's hand, imploring him with her big brilliant eyes. 

Shaking his head, Kijin reminded her fondly. " Tenkou, we have guests. " 

" Oh! "

Her attention focused on her elder brother; Tenkou had not noticed Tatsumi. Feeling shy, she immediately scooted behind Kijin, trying to hide yet at the same time peeping out from the folds of Kijin's robes at their guest. The man with hair the rich shade of mahogany had beautiful cool cerulean eyes beneath his glasses and although he might look a little aloof, Tenkou could sense that he was kind. Her curiosity was roused when she saw that he carried someone in his arms.

" Hello, Tenkou-sama. I am Tatsumi, a shinigami from Meifu." Tatsumi smiled reassuringly at the shy child.

" Don't mind her, Tatsumi-san. Our little Tenkou is shy by nature. We are hoping that she will outgrow it soon. " 

Tenkou did not reply but blushed prettily and nodded her head. Kijin had however noticed his sister's interest in their guest though. Holding her hand as they continued across the courtyard, the youth softly explained to her. The child's brilliant eyes were full of compassion and she almost looked, as she was about to cry.

" We have to make her better, Oniisan! " 

" Yes, Tenkou. We will help Hane-san to our best ability. " 

Assured by her brother, Tenkou nodded enthusiastically. 


End file.
